Tougher sentencing guidelines ‘a wake-up call’ for fleets

Driving licence checks provider Licence Bureau has warned that revised sentencing guidelines for health and safety breaches and corporate manslaughter introduced last month should act as “a major wake-up call” for fleet operators.

The new guidelines, prepared by the Sentencing Council, were introduced on 1 February, and will see companies handed harsher financial penalties depending on their size, turnover, culpability and the level of harm caused.

Licence Bureau says fleets and their drivers should fully understand the new guidelines in order to mitigate the risk of serious prosecution in the event of an incident.

“These guidelines are especially important for operator licence holders,” said the company. “Breaching health and safety regulations that result in fines or prison terms could lead to licences being refused, leading to further reputational and financial repercussions.

“For health and safety best practice, all fleets should be thoroughly investigating any incidents that occur when an employee is driving on business, as if they were making a RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) report, despite these not being required by the Health & Safety Executive.”

Malcolm Maycock, managing director at Licence Bureau, added: “The onus is on both employer and employee to ensure health and safety in the workplace is kept to a high standard; both have a moral duty not to place the company at risk by violating basic rules.

“Use of a mobile phone is a prime example; we have recently seen drivers convicted of death by dangerous driving given lengthy custodial sentences, but their employers seem to be doing little about it. These revised guidelines should serve as a serious wake-up call for the consequences for companies and individuals should an incident occur.”